In the story he is assigned to a female bridge who starts teaching him about life in the present day and how he can manage to live in the modern world, despite the major lifestyle changes he experiences throughout his day
Updated 23 September 2024
Haifa Alshammari
Author: Kaliane Bradley
Kaliane Bradley’s 2024 novel “The Ministry of Time” invites readers along on an interesting adventure of time travel which also investigates the complexities of human emotion.
Set around a secretive organization that controls time, the story explores themes of destiny, choices, and the consequences of dealing with historic events.
The story follows a secret project designed to rescue some well-known characters from the past and transport them to the future.
In the future each visitor will be assigned a “bridge,” who is an officer to help them adapt to their new era.
One of the visitors from the past is Cmdr. Gore, an explorer who died in a failed Victorian Arctic expedition, according to history books.
In the story he is assigned to a female bridge who starts teaching him about life in the present day and how he can manage to live in the modern world, despite the major lifestyle changes he experiences throughout his day.
One of the strengths of this book is the author’s writing style, which is lyrical yet accessible. It takes the reader to different times and places easily. Each chapter is carefully crafted and contains clear descriptions that allow the reader to live the historic event.
Moreover, the dialogue is written with humor and awareness of the unfolding drama, which in some ways keeps readers engaged, while adding twists to maintain the tension without losing track of any character’s development.
Bradley’s story also explores how a simple change in history can create damage through time, leaving an impact not only on historic events but also on how the events affect personal relationships.
Some readers may find the timeline and character count a little overwhelming, but the author weaves these concerns together to a satisfying, thought-provoking conclusion.
Bradley’s imaginative storytelling and captivating writing skills make this novel a must-read for people who enjoy fiction and are fascinated by the possibilities of time travel.
The Year Ahead: Five of the hottest games coming your way in 2025
Updated 02 January 2025
Arab News
Dubai: A look at the hottest games coming our way in 2025.
‘Grand Theft Auto VI’
Rockstar Games’ open world action-adventure series has become one of those creative works that transcends its medium — so the release of “GTA VI” will likely be gaming’s biggest moment of 2025, as likely to make broadcast news headlines as to whip up a social-media frenzy. Its reveal trailer already smashed YouTube records for non-music videos, racking up 46 million views within 12 hours, and 101 million within two days, and sparked a huge spike in Spotify streams for its featured track, Tom Petty’s “Love Is a Long Road.” The game will feature the series’ first female protagonist in a quarter of a century — Lucia, a Latina woman — and her male partner as they try to evade law enforcement around the fictional state of Leonida (a thinly disguised Florida), including Vice City (a thinly disguised Miami) and visit South America too. Expect the usual blend of amoral/immoral action and pop-culture parodies (social-media influencers are apparently a major theme) along with gameplay that will keep you engaged for weeks.
‘Assassin’s Creed: Shadows’
The 14th major installment in Ubisoft’s action-adventure franchise takes the action over to 16th-century Japan, towards the end of a long period of civil wars. Considering how big a part stealth plays in all “Assassin’s Creed” games, ninjas seem a natural fit, and indeed, one of the two central figures of “Shadows” is Naoe, a female shinobi (the game’s stealth mechanics have undergone a major and welcome upgrade, too). The other is Yasuke, an African samurai apparently inspired by an historical figure of the same name. Players will once again be embroiled in the millennia-long conflict between the peace-and-freedom-seeking Assassin Brotherhood and the Templar Order, who believe peace can only be attained through control. After a difficult year for the French publisher, there’s a lot riding on this title.
‘Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game’
Games based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” tend, unsurprisingly, to be foreboding, violent affairs focused on the great battles between good and evil. So this life simulation game from Take-Two Interactive Software will make a refreshing change, allowing you to play a Hobbit without any great responsibility beyond making your idyllic corner of Middle Earth as welcoming and homely as possible — foraging in the forest, fishing in the crystal-clear lakes, gardening, trading with the townsfolk, and cooking for your fellow Hobbits to help build friendships.
‘Death Stranding 2: On the Beach’
Caption
Game designer Hideo Kijima is one of the biggest stars in the gamers’ galaxy. He first made a name for himself as the creator of “Metal Gear” at Konami before setting up his own studio, Kojima Productions, and releasing the genre-defying, slow-burn epic “Death Stranding” in 2019, in which the vast majority of the player’s time was spent trekking across post-apocalyptic mountainous landscapes to deliver parcels to isolated communities and attempt to reconnect the shattered chiral network (the internet, basically). Logistical skills were vital. It wasn’t for everyone, but if you bought into it, it was hugely rewarding and surprisingly emotional. Comparisons with some of the isolation felt worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic, which arrived shortly after the game’s release, were inevitable, and Kijima has reportedly leaned into that for the sequel, which once again has a stellar cast. Norman Reedus and Léa Seydoux return as main protagonist Sam Bridges and his ally Fragile, while Elle Fanning also joins.
‘Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza’
The latest spinoff from the “Like a Dragon” action-adventure series sees fan favorite Goro Majima, a former Yakuza, taking the helm of his own pirate ship — and crew — after losing his memory. He goes in search of a fabled hidden treasure in islands surrounding Hawaii, including Honolulu, where last year’s excellent installment “Infinite Wealth” was set. Naturally, the game includes sea combat as well as the series’ regular beat ’em up combat style, and also sees the return of a few favorite minigames, including karaoke.
What We Are Reading Today: ‘How the Universe Got Its Spots’ by Janna Levin
Updated 01 January 2025
Arab News
Is the universe infinite or just really big? With this question, cosmologist Janna Levin announces the central theme of this book, which established her as one of the most direct, unorthodox, and creative voices in contemporary science.
As Levin sets out to determine how big “really big” may be, she offers a rare intimate look at the daily life of an innovative physicist, complete with jet lag and the tensions between personal relationships and the extreme demands of scientific exploration.
Nimbly explaining geometry, topology, chaos, and string theory, Levin shows how the pattern of hot and cold spots left over from the big bang may one day reveal the size of the cosmos.
What We Are Reading Today: ‘Honeybee Ecology’ by Thomas D. Seeley
Updated 31 December 2024
Arab News
For many years, research on honeybee social life dealt primarily with the physiological processes underlying the social system of the bee rather than the ecological factors that have shaped its societies.
Thomas Seeley’s landmark book unites the two approaches, emphasizing ecological studies of honeybee social behavior while also offering fresh perspectives on honeybee behavior and communication.
“Honeybee Ecology” presents honeybees as a model system for investigating advanced social life among insects from an evolutionary perspective.
The book acknowledges the contribution of Angharad Wynne, a Welsh writer and storyteller known for her work on myth and women’s empowerment
Updated 31 December 2024
Jasmine Bager
Author: Sharon Blackie
Published in 2020, “Wise Women: Myths and Stories for Midlife and Beyond” has been one of my most profound reads of 2024.
The foreword begins with: “We are narrative creatures, hardwired for story.
“We make sense of the world, from childhood onwards, through the stories we find — or the stories that find us. They are the stars we navigate by; they bring us the wisdom we need to thrive.”
This captivating exploration blends folklore, myth and personal reflection, inviting women to reconnect with the wisdom of the past and find strength in their own life experiences.
The author, Sharon Blackie, a psychologist with a background in mythology and folklore, is deeply passionate about reclaiming ancient wisdom and using storytelling as a way to navigate life’s ongoing transitions.
This focus on reclamation is central to the book, where Blackie highlights archetypes of wise women who embody resilience, intuition and deep connection to Mother Nature.
The book also acknowledges the contribution of Angharad Wynne, a Welsh writer and storyteller known for her work on myth and women’s empowerment.
Blackie draws on insights from a variety of sources, including Wynne’s work, to inspire readers to embrace the myths, wisdom and stories that can guide them through midlife and beyond.
Blackie’s poetic writing weaves these themes together, offering a spiritual perspective on how wisdom can be transformative, particularly in “later” stages of life.
While the focus on mythology may appeal more to those interested in these areas, the book provides valuable insight for any woman seeking guidance in this transformative phase.
What We Are Reading Today: ‘Genius at Play’ by Siobhan Roberts
Updated 30 December 2024
Arab News
A mathematician unlike any other, John Horton Conway (1937–2020) possessed a rock star’s charisma, a polymath’s promiscuous curiosity, and a sly sense of humor.
Conway found fame as a barefoot professor at Cambridge, where he discovered the Conway groups in mathematical symmetry and the aptly named surreal numbers.
He also invented the cult classic Game of Life, a cellular automaton that demonstrates how simplicity generates complexity — and provides an analogy for mathematics and the entire universe.
